A teabowl, fired in the early Joseon dynasty. The bowl has a shallow form with a widely flared rim, covered overall in a glaze of pale ash-blue tone. Strong wheel marks circulate across the surface, while numerous spur marks remain visible in the well and around the footring.

The name Totoya is traditionally said to derive either from Sen no Rikyū’s discovery of such a bowl upon the shelf of a fishmonger in Sakai, or from its ownership by a merchant associated with the fish trade there, though the precise origin remains uncertain. The present work clearly embodies the characteristic features of Totoya tea bowls through its abundant spur marks and vigorous wheelwork, yet distinguishes itself through the unusually hard, bluish tone of the glaze. Beneath its quiet rusticity lies a palpable tension, lending the bowl a singular presence.

A chip and a hairline crack at the rim have both been repaired with gold (kintsugi). The crack appears less like later damage than a firing flaw incurred during production. A further short hairline crack not extending through the body, together with an old minor frit, can also be seen at the rim. The bowl is accompanied by a silk shifuku and housed in a wooden box inscribed “ととや” (Totoya).